The present application is generally related to the food service industry and is particularly related to food preparation and dispensing.
There have been many efforts directed to warming ovens for heating prepared foods. U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,224 to Witt discloses a food warming oven with transparent heating shelves. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, the food warming oven 10 includes a plurality of transparent heating shelves 12 for warming and holding food items 14 within serving pans 16. The food warming oven 10 includes a rectangular base 18, and a frame 20 that extends upwardly from base 18. Shelves 12 are removably connected to frame 20 and are positioned above base 18. The base 18, sidewalls 24, rear wall 28 and top section 30 define a food display area 52 for the food items 14. Hinges 56 pivotally attach a generally transparent lid 58 to a forward end 34 of base 18. The lid 58 substantially covers the food display area 52 without contacting the shelves 12 or the food items 14. The hinges 56 allow the transparent lid 58 to pivot about an axis positioned at the forward end 34 of base 18 for easy cleaning of the transparent lid 58 and display area 52.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,140,611 to Penard discloses a container for heating and reheating dishes. Referring to FIG. 4 thereof, the container includes a heat insulating box 13 having shelves 14 that carry plates 15. The plates 15 hold trays 16 for dishes containing food M that is reheated or kept hot in the container. The plates 15 are connected by conductive wires to a current source via switches that enable the whole plate or part thereof to be switched on. The container includes a perforated partition 17 defining a compartment including a cold-generating device 18 and fans 19.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,093,041 to Davis et al. discloses a food serving system for delivering prepared meals to locations remote from the point of preparation. Referring to FIG. 1 thereof, a cart 10 has a pair of fixed axle wheels 12 and a pair of pivotally supported wheels 14 to enable the cart to move freely in any direction. A pair of handles 16 are provided at the top of an end panel 18. The cart has three separate tray compartments 20, 22, and 24 each subdivided by a number of shelves 26 that support food trays in the compartments. Sliding doors 42 close each of the compartments 20, 22, and 24. The cart 10 includes a power pack and control circuit section 44 mounted between partitions 32 and 34. The power pack and control circuit section 44 is designed to supply the energy needed to energize the heat transfer devices on shelves 26.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,934 to Wells et al. discloses a hot countertop self-service food station. Referring to FIG. 1 thereof, the self-service food station 10 includes a countertop oven display assembly 12 and a cooled condiment server 14. The condiment server 14 includes a rear condiment envelope 16 with top loading openings 18 and lower gravity feed product removal openings 20. A front display wall is provided on the front side of the condiment envelope 16. Condiment server 14 has a forwardly projecting body with a stepped configuration including a middle tier receptacle area 24 and a lower tier receptacle area 26. Middle tier receptacle area 24 includes recessed areas for receiving rectangular metal bays 28 adapted to hold condiments 34. Lower tier area 26 includes a pair of bays 36 and 38 equipped with hand pump dispensers 40 for serving catsup and mustard. Napkins may be stored in a central receptacle area 42 in lower tier 26. Condiment server 14 includes a refrigeration element in the body portion thereof to keep the items chilled.
Wells"" oven display assembly 12 includes a lower food-receiving oven portion 44 and an upper frame and marquis portion 46. Lower food-receiving oven portion 44 includes a glass-walled or windowed oven body 48 having a pair of parallel, spaced apart upstanding sidewalls 50 and 52 interconnected by a bottom wall 54 and opposed top wall 56. Oven body 48 has a double-door pass-through body design including a hinged front door panel 58 and a hinged rear door panel 60. Oven body 48 defines a generally rectangular heated compartment 64 adapted to receive a hot oven display rack 66 for displaying and storing a variety of pre-cooked, pre-heated foods in different sized packages, such as packages 68 and 70 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 respectively. As shown in FIG. 1, in a fully stocked condition, display rack 66 holds hot food packages 68 and 70 in a matrix array defined by three columns 72 and three rows 74 so that nine individual packages are displayed through the front door panel 58. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,203,255 and 5,464,279 to Wells et al. are related to the above described U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,934.
In spite of the above advances, there remains a need for a food delivery system that combines a food preparation compartment and a self-serve compartment into a single integrated unit. There also remains a need for a food delivery system that saves space atop countertops in retail establishments. There is also a need for a system that speeds up the process when a retail customer seeks to purchase a ready to eat finished food product.
In accordance with certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, a combination food preparation and self-serve delivery system includes a housing, a food preparation compartment located in a rear section of the housing, the food preparation compartment including a first heating element for heating food placed in the food preparation compartment, and a self-serve compartment located in a front section of the housing for holding finished food product. The self-serve compartment preferably includes a second heating element for heating the finished food product placed therein, the first and second heating elements being separate from one another and being adapted to operate independently of one another. As a result, the food placed in the food preparation compartment may be maintained at a temperature that is different than the temperature of the finished food product held in the self-serve compartment.
In certain preferred embodiments, the self-serve compartment is located directly in front of the food preparation compartment, and both the self-serve compartment and the food preparation compartment are integrated into a single housing. Integration into a single housing saves valuable retail countertop space and also creates a direct association between the finished food product in the self-serve compartment and the food being heated in the food preparation compartment.
In certain preferred embodiments, the combination also includes a rack located in said self-serve compartment for holding the finished food product spaced away from and over the second heating element. The rack preferably includes a plurality of rows tiered one above the other. Each row has a plurality of slots, each slot being adapted for holding at least one of the finished food products. The top of the self-serve compartment preferably slopes in a downward direction so that the self-serve compartment has a lower overall silhouette than the food preparation compartment. As a result, the finished food product stored in the self-serve compartment is highly visible, thereby capturing the attention of retail customers and enhancing sales. In many instances, retail customers do not wish to go through the process of making a finished food product such as a hot dog on a roll. Typically, this requires a customer to take a hot dog roll from a container, grab tongs for selecting a hot dog, open the oven or hot dog grill, place the hot dog in the roll, return the tongs to storage, close the hot dog grill, and place the hot dog roll and hot dog on a plate. The present invention does not require these burdensome tasks for the retail customer because the prepared hot dogs are wrapped and ready for pick-up from the racks. The tiered racks also enable the food products stored therein to maintain a high level of visibility to retail customers.
The combination food preparation and self-serve delivery system also preferably includes an a access door associated with said self-serve compartment. The access door is preferably transparent so that a retail customer may see through the access door into the self-serve compartment. The access door is preferably movable between a first position for closing the self-serve compartment and a second position for accessing the finished food product stored in the self-serve compartment. The access door serves a number of functions including maintaining the heat within the self-serve compartment and improving sanitary conditions. In certain preferred embodiments, the access door is hingedly connected to the housing for hingedly swinging between the first closed position and the second open position.
The combination food preparation and self-serve delivery system also preferably includes a first temperature controller for controlling operation of the first heating element and a second temperature controller, separate from the first temperature controller, for controlling operation of the second heating element. In preferred embodiments, the first and second temperature controllers are accessible at an exterior surface of the housing. In highly preferred embodiments, the first and second controllers are turnable knobs accessible at an exterior wall of the housing. The system also preferably includes an xe2x80x9con/offxe2x80x9d switch for activating and deactivating the system including the first and second heating elements.
The combination food preparation and self-serve delivery system also preferably includes a drain in communication with the food preparation compartment. In certain preferred embodiments, the drain is in communication with a bottom surface of the food preparation compartment and includes a drain valve movable between a closed position and an open position. During rethermalization of food placed in the food preparation compartment, heated water or liquid may frequently be used. After use, the water or liquid must be drained from the food preparation compartment. This is preferably accomplished by connecting a drain hose to the drain, and then turning the drain valve to the open position for draining the liquid from the food preparation compartment. In certain preferred embodiments, the housing includes a drain access door movable between a closed position for covering the drain and an open position for obtaining access to the drain. In some embodiments, the drain access door is connected to the housing by hinges that enable the door to be swung between the closed and open positions.
The housing preferably includes a front wall, a rear wall spaced from the front wall and a top surface extending between upper ends of the front and rear walls. A rear region of the top surface over the food preparation compartment preferably extends in a first plane and a front region of the top surface over the self-serve compartment preferably extends in a second plane that intersects the first plane. The housing also preferably includes a bottom surface extending between the front and rear walls. A plurality of feet may project from the bottom surface. The feet are preferably designed for holding the housing above a surface, such as a retail countertop. The feet are desirably spaced from one another and may be evenly spaced from one another in the four corners of the housing. The housing also preferably includes opposing side walls extending between the front and rear walls. The side walls are preferably substantially parallel to one another, and the front and rear walls are preferably substantially parallel to one another. In certain preferred embodiments, the height of the front wall is less than the height of the rear wall so that the top surface of the housing over the self-serve compartment slopes downwardly to provide improved visibility of the finished food product stored in the self-serve compartment.
The combination food preparation and self-serve delivery system also preferably includes a menu unit secured to the housing. The menu unit includes at least one support arm secured to the housing and a menu mounting element secured to the at least one support arm. The menu unit may include one or more lights for selectively illuminating the information displayed on the menu mounting element.
The food preparation compartment is preferably adapted to hold one or more removable pan sets. In certain embodiments, a first section of the food preparation compartment may hold a soup pan set, while a second section of the food preparation compartment may hold a hot dog pan set. The combination of pan sets may be readily modified depending upon the type of food being heated therein. The types of food that may be heated in the food preparation compartment include hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches, soup, breakfast sandwiches, hot cereals, chicken, Italian food and Mexican food.
In certain embodiments, the exterior walls of the housing are adapted to have text and/or graphics secured thereto. The text and/or graphics may be advertising information or may alert retail customers as to the contents and prices of the food products contained in the combination system.
In other preferred embodiments of the present invention, a combination food preparation and self-serve delivery system includes a housing, and a food preparation compartment located in a rear section of the housing, the food preparation compartment including a first heating element for heating food placed in the food preparation compartment. The combination system also preferably includes a self-serve compartment located in a front section of the housing for holding finished food product. The self-serve compartment preferably includes a second heating element for heating the finished food product placed therein. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cfinished food productxe2x80x9d means a food that has been fully prepared for eating and that has been placed in a container or a wrapper for handling by a retail customer. The combination system also preferably includes a rack located in the self-serve compartment for holding the finished food product over the second heating element, a first temperature controller for controlling operation of the first heating element, and a second temperature controller for controlling operation of the second heating element, the first and second heating elements being adapted to operate independently of one another. The combination system also desirably includes a transparent access door associated with the self-serve compartment, the transparent access door being movable between a first position for closing the self-serve compartment and a second position for accessing the finished food product stored in the rack. In certain embodiments, the access door over the self-serve compartment includes a handle that may be grasped for moving the access door between the closed and open positions.
The housing may includes a bottom surface and a top surface, the top surface having a first region associated with the food preparation compartment that extends in a first plane substantially parallel with the bottom surface of the housing and a second region associated with the self-serve compartment that extends in a second plane that intersects the bottom surface of said housing. The housing may also include a front wall adjacent the self-serve compartment, a rear wall adjacent the food preparation compartment and a top surface extending between the front wall and the rear wall. The top surface preferably defines a first plane associated with the food preparation compartment that is substantially perpendicular to the rear wall, the top surface defining a second plane associated with the self-serve compartment that slopes toward the bottom surface between the first plane and the front wall.
In still other preferred embodiments of the present invention, a combination food preparation and self-serve delivery system includes a food preparation compartment including a first heating element for heating food placed in the food preparation compartment, and a self-serve compartment located in front of the food preparation compartment adapted to hold finished food product. The self-serve compartment also preferably includes a second heating element for heating the finished food product placed therein, the self-serve compartment having a downwardly sloping top surface so that the self-serve compartment has a lower overall silhouette than the food preparation compartment. The combination system also preferably includes a unitary housing surrounding the food preparation system and the self-serve compartment to form an integrated unit. The system also desirably includes a tiered rack located in the self-serve compartment for holding a plurality of the finished food product, the tiered rack being adapted to hold said finished food product spaced from the second heating element.
These and other preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below.